Letters To The Editor

September 27, 2005

Renew the war on poverty

After years of languishing in the shadows, the "P" word has emerged, bringing with it the realization that poverty in the United States is still a very real problem. It is unfortunate that it took a national disaster to force us to look squarely in the many faces of poverty. Michael Harrington, in his book, "The Other America"(1962), focused directly on the differences of the haves and have-nots: American citizens living in different worlds.

The book is purported to be the basis for the War on Poverty efforts by the Johnson administration. It should be used as the backup for developing serious policies to deal with 37 million people living in poverty in this country. Particular attention should be paid to this paragraph; "It is a noble sentiment to argue that private moral responsibility expressing itself through charitable contributions should be the main instrument of attacking poverty. The only problem is that such an approach does not work. ... There is only one realistic possibility; only the Federal overnment has the power to abolish poverty."

While the success or failure of the War on Poverty can be debated, it is clear that current policy runs counter to that assessment. Efforts to abolish, reduce and or consolidate agencies designed to fight poverty (reducing their effectiveness) have been in play almost from the start and continue today with the current administration recommending that community action programs be eliminated from the budget.

I hope that the sights and sounds of the Gulf Coast will inspire us to develop the "Third World" cities and towns in our back yard.

Robert D. Ayers, Jr.

Executive director,

Office of Human Affairs,

Newport News *

Plenty of blame

The governor of Louisiana should have, could have and would have, in hindsight, made the mandatory evacuation just that. Even kicking and screaming, you've got to get out, and people had plenty of time to do so. I believe this is where the majority of blame lies. After all, presidents don't control the weather.

Lisa Perzan Deyerle

Yorktown

Dumb idea

Let me see if I have this correct: We have a bunch of people who have been displaced by Katrina, and most of these people didn't work and were on some kind of welfare. We are spending $2 billion a day to help them and New Orleans. Now here comes the president proposing to spend even more to rebuild and finance more welfare for these non-workers. He made the speech from New Orleans, but I thought the bars were closed.

Is he nuts? What we ought to do is leave all those houses that are under water where they are and re-position the flood walls to preserve that part of New Orleans that didn't flood -- the business district and French Quarter.

Those that want to rebuild the areas of the Gulf damaged by Katrina should pay for it, not my tax money. I don't see the federal or any government coming to the aid of every American that suffers a tragedy like their house burning down or whatever. Why do we have to spend all our hard-earned money on these non-producers?

I wonder where the governmental brains are -- surely not in Washington.

Charles Klein

Newport News

Just imagine ...

In the wake of the recent disaster in the area of the Mississippi delta, there has been a great deal of controversy on how FEMA responded and many fingers are pointed at the head of FEMA and the White House. But I believe people are blaming the wrong officials. They should blame Al Gore. Yes, I believe the former vice-president and inventor of the Internet is responsible.

During the first Gore-Bush debate, Gov. Bush stated that he did not believe we should not have troops in Haiti and Eastern Europe (to help prevent genocide there) and that we should help those "in our hemisphere." Gore did not react to this. I laughed out loud and thought this guy is as sharp as a bowling ball. If Gore had only replied appropriately, curious George probably would still be working on making Texas a better place to live, unless you're on death row.

Imagine after 9/11, when the United States went into Afghanistan, we send enough soldiers to get the job done and eliminate Osama bin Laden. Imagine after 9/11, when almost every country in the world was on our side, how we could have worked together and maybe put real pressure on these countries that behave so radically.

Imagine FEMA being run by someone whose last job wasn't a "horse official." Imagine leaving Iraq to its own fate, which would probably be delivered by Iran.

Thanks, Al.

Stephen H. Culotta

Hampton

Protect CNU students

As a father of a Christopher Newport University student, please consider building a bridge or tunnel to prevent another death, no matter what circumstances surround this one. Locate it down the road away from the corner crossing, accessible to most of the dorms, via a fence line for protection.

Please don't let money or politics ruin another family; our children deserve to be protected from this busy road.